The Regency area is set to gain a new retailer.
Skechers USA Inc. plans to open a footwear outlet in early February at 9450 Arlington Expressway in the Regency Pointe shopping center.
The Regency Pointe flyer at landlord website Sandordev.com shows Skechers will open in 8,450 square feet in the end unit along Atlantic Boulevard. The downsized Office Depot previously occupied the space.
Skechers, based in Manhattan Beach, Calif., applied to the city for a certificate of use for retail footwear sales at the address.
The company sells casual shoes for men and women, children’s shoes and athletic sneakers.
It also operates a factory outlet store in the St. Augustine Premium Outlets and a regular store in The Avenues mall.
Skechers USA Inc. is publicly traded on the NYSE. It sells its footwear in department, specialty and independent stores as well as through more than 1,710 company-owned Skechers retail stores and at skechers.com.
Calling itself a $3 billion global leader in the performance and lifestyle footwear industry, Skechers says it designs, develops and markets more than 3,000 styles for men, women and children.
In the Regency area, Skechers will become another pocket of re-use and redevelopment.
For example, The Juicy Crab restaurant is taking over the closed Sweet Tomatoes across the street; Chipotle Mexican Grill wants to build on the nearby site now occupied by a closed Pier 1 Imports store; and Ollie’s Bargain Outlet opened in the former Babies “R” Us space in the Regency Park Shopping Center.
Council OKs River City Crossing incentives
City Council adopted a resolution last week for an economic development agreement to provide up to $1.95 million in incentives for North Jacksonville developer Steve Leggett to move forward with the proposed River City Crossing.
Now, “we get to work,” Leggett said. Road work starts soon.
He said the project might be renamed River City Station.
The development comprises almost 163 acres at Owens Road and Max Leggett Parkway. The city’s project summary said the private capital investment would total $33.8 million.
The city assistance would apply only to uses that qualify as targeted industries, including office, office-medical, bank and warehouse/flex space.
Leggett proposes almost 202,000 square feet for those uses, creating 160 jobs.
The property is north of the River City Marketplace regional retail and entertainment center and across Max Leggett Parkway from the UF Health North campus. It’s not far from Jacksonville International Airport.
Incentives comprise up to a $1.75 million Recapture Enhanced Value grant and a Tax Increment District Infrastructure Development grant up to $200,000 from the JIA Area Redevelopment Fund.
The REV grant would be based on 50 percent of the incremental increase in property taxes over 10 years. The TID grant would be disbursed after the project infrastructure is complete.
For the TID grant, the project needs to create 20 full-time jobs by year-end 2023 or the grant must be repaid.
The project is designed in two phases, the first of which is seeing activity.
Leggett sold almost 18 acres to Integra Land Co. of Lake Mary to develop the 300-unit Integra River Run apartment community. Multifamily is not among the uses that trigger incentives.
Leggett is preparing four outparcels at Owens Road and Max Leggett Parkway for uses such as a gas station-convenience store and restaurants. He said previously that some of those parcels could be combined for a hotel.
He also said the project’s second phase could include assisted living.
Development notes
• Hyperion Managing LLC applied for a certificate of use for Hyperion Brewing Co. at 1740 N. Main St. The 5,000-square-foot project would seat 75. Owner Alexandra McKeown said construction could start in February but said it was too soon to anticipate the opening date. The site is next to Carl’s Main Street Restaurant.
• Walgreens now operates the pharmacy at 836 Prudential Drive in the Pavilion Building at Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville on the Southbank. Effective Jan. 9, the Baptist Pharmacy converted to Walgreens’ ownership, while six other Baptist pharmacies closed Jan. 4. Walgreens will provide continuity to those customers through its 50 or so stores around the area. Those six were at Baptist Beaches, Baptist Nassau, Baptist South, Baptist Primary Care on Lane Avenue, Nemours Children’s Specialty Care and the Reid Building. Baptist Health’s inpatient pharmacies and infusion therapy pharmacy remain owned and operated by Baptist.
• Cantrell & Morgan Inc. has relocated from the BB&T Tower Downtown to Tapestry Park in Southside. The office opened Jan. 9 at Suite 201 at 9822 Tapestry Park Circle. Cantrell & Morgan is a full-service commercial real estate brokerage. CEO Chris Morgan said the firm has been leasing and managing Tapestry Park, comprising hotel, retail, office and multifamily uses, since 2010.
• The proposed Chipotle Mexican Grill in Regency at the site of the closed Pier 1 Imports and the Buffalo Wild Wings in Town Center Promenade are slated for permits from the St. Johns River Water Management District. The district issued a notice that it intends to grant permits for both.
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